System performance tests and start transient analysis of a liquid rocket engine turbopump

Author(s):  
Soon-Sam Hong ◽  
Dae-Jin Kim ◽  
Jin-Sun Kim ◽  
Jinhan Kim

This article describes a series of development tests of a turbopump, which can be applied to a gas generator cycle rocket engine with liquid oxygen and kerosene propellants. A turbine drives both an oxidizer pump and a fuel pump in the turbopump assembly. In the tests, liquid oxygen and kerosene are supplied to the oxidizer pump and the fuel pump, respectively, while either cold hydrogen gas or hot gas from the gas generator is supplied to the turbine. The turbopump is operated reliably at both on-design and off-design conditions, meeting all the performance requirements. The test results are compared with those of the turbopump component tests, where model fluids are used, that is, water for the oxidizer pump and the fuel pump, and cold air for the turbine. The turbopump tests results agree well with the turbopump component test results. The speed buildup of the turbopump at start period is calculated when pressurized gas is used to initially spin the turbine. A differential equation which represents the torque balance between the turbine and the pumps is solved. The calculation shows a good agreement with the test result. When the mechanical loss of the turbopump is considered, a better estimation is obtained.

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
V. Trushlyakov ◽  
K. Zharikov ◽  
D. Lempert

The choice is discussed of solid gas generating compositions for venting by hot combustion products a fuel tank of the spent orbital stage of a space launch vehicle with a main liquid rocket engine. Non explosiveness is achieved via eliminating the<br />possibility of freezing the drainage system when products of gasification (vapours of a propellant component + the remains of a gas boost + the hot products of combustion of solid gas generating compositions) are discharged from the tank into surrounding space. There are imposed requirements, constraints, and criteria for selecting solid gas generating compositions. When considering tank with the residues of liquid oxygen belonging to orbital spent stage of the launch vehicle «Zenith» the ways are shown how to ensure explosion safety, which on the basis of proposed approaches by selecting solid gas generating compositions (SGC) which generate oxygen and<br />nitrogen. As a criterion of choice of SGC the total mass of the gasification system is adopted, which includes the SGC mass for gasification of liquid propellant residues, the mass of the gas generator and the mass of system to supply the combustion products of SGC into the tank. It is proposed use of residual heat in the condensed phase of the SGC combustion products to heat up the drainage system, which will increase the probability of a trouble-free operation of the drainage system.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 55-65
Author(s):  
Byoungjik Lim ◽  
Munki Kim ◽  
Donghyuk Kang ◽  
Hyeon-Jun Kim ◽  
Jong-Gyu Kim ◽  
...  

2002 ◽  
Vol 124 (2) ◽  
pp. 363-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Laurant ◽  
D. W. Childs

Test results are presented for the rotordynamic coefficients of a hybrid bearing that is representative of bearings for liquid-rocket-engine turbopump applications. The bearing is tested in the following two degraded conditions: (a) one of five orifices plugged, and (b) a locally enlarged clearance to simulate a worn condition. Test data are presented at 24,600 rpm, with supply pressures of 4.0, 5.5, and 7.0 MPa, and eccentricity ratios from 0.1 to 0.5 in 0.1 increments. Overall, the results suggest that neither a single plugged orifice nor significant wear on the bearing land will “disable” a well-designed hybrid bearing. These results do not speak to multiple plugged orifices and are not an endorsement for operations without filters to prevent plugging orifices.


1985 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenjiro Kamijo ◽  
Kunio Hirata

Several small cryogenic pumps for a liquid rocket engine have been made and tested. These pumps have a small impeller and are characterized by high speed and high head. The main design characteristics of these pumps are as follows: stage specific speeds of from 0.0319 to 0.0766, flow rates from 0.016 to 0.0525 m3/s, pressure rises from 4.9 to 26 MPa, rotational speeds from 16,500 to 80,000 rpm, and impeller diameters from 0.083 to 0.146 m. These pumps, when tested, showed higher efficiency even in the range of small stage specific speeds than any previously reported data on other pumps. This tendency was particularly striking with the two-stage pumps. With regard to pump efficiency measurement, it was made clear that adiabatic efficiency was utilizable for the present cryogenic pumps. The relationship between the adiabatic efficiency and ordinary efficiency was also confirmed by a brief calculation and test results.


Author(s):  
Franck Laurant ◽  
Dara W. Childs

Test results are presented for the rotordynamic coefficients of a hybrid bearing that is representative of bearings for liquid-rocket-engine turbopump applications. The bearing is tested in the following two degraded conditions: (a) one of five orifices plugged, and (b) a locally-enlarged clearance to simulate a worn condition. Test data are presented at 24600 rpm, with supply pressures of 4.0, 5.5, and 7.0 MPa, and eccentricity ratios from 0.1 to 0.5 in 0.1 increments. Overall, the results suggest that neither a single plugged orifice nor significant wear on the bearing land will “disable’ a well designed hybrid bearing. These results do not speak to multiple plugged orifices and are not an endorsement for operations without filters to prevent plugging orifices.


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